Kyle Schwarber

On July 21, in a 5–4 extra-inning victory over the Cincinnati Reds, Schwarber hit a game-tying two-run homer in the ninth inning and a solo go-ahead home run in the top of the 13th to give the Cubs the lead.

Over the course of the season he split time between catcher and outfield positions.

Kyle Joseph Schwarber (born March 5, 1993) is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball (MLB).

He has previously played in MLB for the Chicago Cubs, Washington Nationals, and Boston Red Sox.

In the 2012 college offseason, Schwarber played for the Wareham Gatemen of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL).

After winning the league championship with the Gatemen, Schwarber was awarded the playoff's most valuable player award.

As a sophomore in 2013, he hit .366/.456/.647 with 18 home runs and 54 RBIs in 61 games.

He was named a first-team All-American by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) After the season, Schwarber played for the United States collegiate national team during the summer.

As a junior, he batted .348/.456/.643 with 13 home runs.

He was a finalist for the Johnny Bench Award.

He majored in recreational sports management.

Schwarber played college baseball for the Indiana Hoosiers and was a first-round selection in the 2014 MLB draft by the Cubs, making his MLB debut with the Cubs the following year.

Schwarber was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the first round, fourth overall, in the 2014 Major League Baseball draft.

He signed on June 11.

Upon being drafted, MLB.com analyst Bernie Pleskoff profiled Schwarber as a "game-changing" power-hitter.

However, Pleskoff was critical of his base-running and fielding skills, commenting "Schwarber is sluggish on the bases and slow defensively".

ESPN's Keith Law echoed a similar sentiment in his draft profile, noting "Schwarber might have the most raw power of any prospect in the class."

Two pre-draft scouting reports by the MLB Scouting Bureau compared Schwarber's swinging mechanics to those of Jeff Bagwell, while also projecting him to play a role similar to Matt Stairs.

He made his professional debut with the Boise Hawks three days later, going 3-for-4 with a home run and three RBI.

The Cubs then promoted him to the Kane County Cougars of the Class A Midwest League and the Daytona Cubs of the Class A-Advanced Florida State League before the end of the season.

In 72 total games between the three teams, he slashed .344/.428/.634 with 18 home runs, 53 RBI, and 18 doubles.

Schwarber began the 2015 season with the Double-A Tennessee Smokies of the Southern League.

In July 2015, he played in the All-Star Futures Game, where he was named the MVP of the game after hitting a go-ahead two-run triple for Team USA.

The Cubs promoted Schwarber to the major leagues on June 16, 2015, to serve as a designated hitter for six games during interleague play.

Schwarber made his major league debut as a position player that night, replacing ejected starting catcher Miguel Montero in the eighth inning against the Cleveland Indians at Wrigley Field.

The following night, as a designated hitter, he got four hits in five at bats with two RBI and six total bases after the Cubs and Indians both traveled to Cleveland.

The Cubs sent Schwarber to the Triple-A Iowa Cubs of the Pacific Coast League after the six games.

On July 16, 2015, Schwarber was recalled from Triple A Iowa, to rejoin the Cubs due to an injury to catcher Montero.

He finished the 2015 regular season having played 69 games, recording a .246 batting average with 16 home runs, 52 runs scored, and 43 RBI in just 273 plate appearances.

In the National League Wild Card Game, Schwarber drove in three runs and hit a long two-run home run to help the Cubs defeat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 4–0, and advance to the Division Series against the St. Louis Cardinals.

In the NLDS, Schwarber helped the Cubs to a 3–1 series victory with two home runs, including a mammoth Game 4 homer that landed on top of the new Wrigley Field scoreboard in right field.

He was a member of the Cubs’ 2016 championship team, and also played with the Phillies in the 2022 World Series.

Known for his powerful, hard-hit home runs and high walk rate in contrast to his low batting average, Schwarber led the National League in home runs during his 2022 debut season with the Phillies, earning him his first Silver Slugger Award.

He holds the record for most National League Championship Series home runs (11), and has the distinction of being the only player to hit a home run in the Little League World Series, World Series, and World Baseball Classic championship game.

Schwarber attended Middletown High School in Middletown, Ohio.

During his four years, he batted .408 with 18 home runs and 103 runs batted in (RBIs).

Schwarber was also a standout football player at Middletown, garnering 2nd Team All-Ohio Honors as a linebacker his Senior year.

Schwarber enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington to play college baseball for the Indiana Hoosiers.

As a freshman, Schwarber was named a freshman All-American by Louisville Slugger and Collegiate Baseball Newspaper after hitting .300/.390/.513 with eight home runs and 47 RBIs.

In June 2019, it was announced that he would join the CCBL Hall of Fame class of 2019.